This 4th match of the season saw G&S in their 3rd cup match in 3 weeks against Lessa FXI at home in the Plumstead Challenge Cup.
Rovers were straight in to their stride early doors and Lewis shot over after 3 minutes from a corner.
With only 9minutes on the clock it was 1-0 to the Blues. Robbie whipped in a corner & in the confusion, TJ rose to see the ball hit him on the back & nestle in the net off the defender. Dubious goals committee out on this one but awarded in the meantime to TJ!
Ben was rarely troubled but on the quarter hour mark sprang from his line, doing enough to see the forward chip over the bar. On 21 minutes Dario was put through on the left, he cut inside the box to shoot. The keeper parried & the ball settled on the line to give the alert Deji the easiest of tap ins for 2-0. A similar move on 29 saw Robbie thread Deji in to round the keeper, but his touch was too heavy & the ball ran to safety.
More pressure only 120 seconds later saw Dario’s corner brilliantly plucked from the air by Deji. He juggled & turned in one movement to toe poke the ball home in the far right hand side, just inside the post. 3-0. The same combination should have resulted in a 4th, but Deji rose to only head over Dario’s inswinger.
With 4 minutes left of the half it was game over. A generally poor performance from the orange men was put to bed when Ben blasted a massive kick from his hands. It flew past the dozing defence with TJ skinning his ‘marker’ to round the keeper & smash it home for 4-0 with the outside of his right.
The second half was a lot quieter. Shots were miseed in the first 10 minutes by Rob, Russ & Ant, with Deji’s flick header being saved well on 75 by the busy sticksman. Lewis tested him again minutes leter, before it was finally & derservedly 5-0. Luca’s inch perfect ball to Deji saw the giant forward round the keeper to finish from a tight angle for his second hat trick in 2 weeks. It was nearly 6 on full time as Deji found himself clear on the right. He squared for Russ who’s brave shot was again saved point blank.
The match ended with a clean sheet. The well marshalled defence of Robbie, Luca, Rich & Russ had done superbly to match the battling midfield & refined finishing of the strikers to keep up the 100% start to the season.
